


A Warmth in the Snow and Ice of Hydaelyn

by coldreactive



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-19
Updated: 2019-03-19
Packaged: 2019-11-24 03:00:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18160601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coldreactive/pseuds/coldreactive
Summary: A story of when the Warrior of Light decided against continuing his tale in favor of romance and comforting Ysayle Dangoulain.





	A Warmth in the Snow and Ice of Hydaelyn

After a heart-breaking history lesson from the great wyrm Hraesvelgr, Ysayle began to quaver, a sudden change in her very soul it seems. After this, Estinien spoke, "Leave her. Your words will not reach her now. And we have not the time to wait for her to gather up the pieces of her shattered faith." The party left her there. I started to leave her as well, but... I eventually stopped near the edge of the way down. Then, I mustered myself and came to her once more. Looking upon her radiance, despite her looking so sorrowful, I slowly neared her, and put my hand upon her side.

"Listen to me, Ysayle." She continues to look down, "We don't have to continue this. There will be others, as you have shown me, the mother crystal Hydaelyn can make more champions for her." She still doesn't budge an inch. I sigh slightly. Then, out of the blue, I get closer, and give her a warm hug. She suddenly trembles at this gesture, unsure of how to react after what had just transpired. "It's okay, I'm here." She stands there still, broken. After quite some time of this, a gentle breeze graces our bodies. I look toward the sky slightly, still embracing her. "Hey..." I start, "perhaps, we could run away... together." She stops trembling suddenly, and perks her head up only slightly. "It's only a suggestion. We still have that base of yours in Western Coerthas after all." I slowly stop hugging her, and start to walk away slightly. "The offer stands, you can come to me, and I will not hesitate to do this." I turn, and soon walk away further.

But, once I begin to go down the pathway around the Zenith altar, I am suddenly stopped, my hand grasped from behind. "Don't." She says in a sorrowful tone. "Don't... don't go. Let's..." She stutters, and begins to crumble in on herself, "...Let's run... run away." I smile slightly, and get closer to her, rubbing her head as she goes down further, crouching. Her tears pour forth, and I start to take her emotions, helping her take the load off of her own shoulders. After all, she had slain so many, and for what, a false saint? No, she was still a saint to me, only doing what she thought was best.

Once she had begun to collect herself once more, I receive a linkpearl message from the party, however, I choose to ignore it for the time being telling them I was a bit busy at present. "We'll go back home, Ysayle. We'll change that old building into something great. A place for adventurers to gather on their way to other lands. Perhaps an inn of sorts." She slowly starts to walk with me, her emotions still a bit shaky, but we begin the long trek back to the summit of Sohm Al. On the way, we meet moogles, and tell them of what transpired. They try to comfort Ysayle too slightly, but reaffirm her that she shouldn't be so worried or sad, after all, they continue to keep watch over Zenith, and repair it the best they can for so long, without much in terms of reward. "Our inn will be based on the same principles, we'll help those in need, and not expect rewards. We'll live our life, contributing in a way that we can." ysayle nods slightly, and, she smiles a bit, one last tear finally rolling off, but I wipe it from her face. She blushes slightly, but resumes her previous stern composure from before the event at Zenith.

Exclaiming out loud, "W-Well, then we had better get there quickly, lest bandits or otherwise take our claim!" She starts heading off, I chuckle a bit, "What's so funny?" I explain to her that she's back to her old self again, "Well, perhaps I should give you the _cold shoulder_ then too." She laughs and runs off, I gasp and run after her. She actually laughs a bit as I begin my pursuit, through the mountain of Sohm Al once more. U&pon arriving within the confines of Anyx Trine, the dragons there wonder where we were headed, as our other party had long left us. "To be honest, we won't be following them," Ysayle explained, the dragons look confused as to why. "We had a bit... of a revelation upon Zenith. We won't be joining them any longer. Instead... we... decided to do something to benefit the region." She continues explaining to the dragons. Some of them still a bit confused, but otherwise not entirely against the idea. If humans were told the truth by us, and backed by other adventurers, the Holy See would have no choice but to eventually release the information they once kept hidden. "Yes, it would benefit not only us, but you as dragons as well. The truth is still covered, the veil still tight."

We continue on to the confines of Tailfeather to take a rest after so much traveling. There, we are asked similar questions, and similarly, we explain once more. "So you see, an inn would be welcome within such a land, a shining beacon of warmth." The elezen Marcechamp agreed at this notion. He glances as Ysayle gently puts a hand to my shoulder without me noticing. He looks as she smiles gently staring at the back of my head. Marcechamp too smiles slightly then sighs. "What's wrong?" I say to him. He shakes his head and says nothing. Ysayle glances and looks embarrassed, quickly turning away and looking outside slightly. I shrug in the meantime, and once rested, we begin to leave.

Not long through the small hamlet that we are stopped by him yelling out, "Hey!" He quickly comes to us, "We'd like to give you a few resources actually, anything to fix up the place." We nod in agreement and tell them that we would be in touch. He waves as we leave, "So... he'll be the one to settle with her, huh? I could think of no other really. Such a resourceful individual." He smirks and heads back within his abode. Little did we know, however, our actions were being monitored by a new arrival within the region. A young temple knight watches from afar.

The path through the western highlands of coerthas proved to be slightly more difficult this day, blistering winds and snow greeted us. Ysayle tried to keep calm all the while. "Are you all right still, Ysayle?" She nods and shouts back to me through the wind affirming this. "If we need to take a break, just say so, and we'll find a place behind a rock formation." She huffs, pouting a bit back at me. A quick sudden gust pushes her back toward me, she gasps, going wide-eyed. I quickly take her into my embrace once more. "Whoa!" I exclaim, holding her tight. She blushes a bit, flustered at what happened. She quickly turns and starts walking off once more. Eventually, the winds die down, and we find our way back to the old mill abandoned still.

"We have a lot of work ahead of us." She says, though, I say to ehr that her followers had kept it up nicely all this time. "Oh... no. This was minor maintenance really, nothing too substantial." She humbles the notion, clearly, she doesn't want to show that they worked so hard. We are able to start getting some beds together, and find a map for the area. "We'll try and get more resources from the old town to the east as well, bedding and all. We'll get some tools and fashion a proper desk area where those stables are upstairs." She gets right to work planning things out. I watch her closely all the while, admiring her elegant features and beauty. Her silver hair shimmering in the gentle light. "Are you paying attention?" I blush red and look away slightly, nodding. She looks stern, and gets closer, pointing out more things, "We'll need to do these things as well." She stays close, making sure I watch her hand move about.

Days, weeks go by. We get food and supplies here and there. We eventually polish the upstairs entrance floor, and erect a desk for the inn, along with removing the cobblestone within the basement, finishing it with newly made wood, polishing it as well. The wood creaks slightly, but gives warmth, unlike the stone prior. "It's really happening..." I say to myself. Ysayle reassures my conviction, and we continue along. The days and weeks go by further. At one point, Ysayle has a thought of adding functioning water-crystal powered showers. Combined with fire to heat them. "That's a really good idea, it would help refresh the weary adventurers. A proper bath area would also be nice but, we might have to expand more underground for that." She smiles and asks me to do it for her while she heads to procure the crystals. I agree to this of course. "Just come back in one piece, dear." She suddenly stops as she puts one foot on the stairs going up. "O-Oh uhm, sorry, that just... came ou--" She's suddenly running to me and quickly embracing me tight. "H-Hey, what are... mmph?!" She doesn't give me any room at all, and forces mh head against her shoulder or chest. She stays like this for a while, tears rolling down her cheeks at one point. She quickly breaks the embrace, and runs off, flustered all the while. "That... that was... heavens forefend..." I collapse into a chair and look bewildered, surprised and taken aback.

Our time together started to bring us closer and closer together. Weeks continued by, and we received a few visitors. One of which was one of the chocobokeeps surveying the area, perhaps for new routes. "If you keep this up, we might consider adding an aethernet shard here or a full fledged chocobokeep stable." They tell us. We look to each other with joy. The chocobokeep offers us some gysahl green seeds in the meantime so that we can perhaps grow some within our controlled underground environment. "Make sure to install some proper lighting down where you plan to keep these of course." We both nod almost in sync, delightful at this development.

Time goes on and on. We hear of new developments within Ishgard, Nidhogg had been defeated seemingly by a group of adventurers. I attempt my linkpearl at one point while Ysayle was out, "Forgive me, by the way. We've... decided we don't want to fight any longer, instead..." I'm cut off by the scion on the other side, and they tell me that they understand, the events have been too much, and we were only following our hearts. "Thank you, I am truly sorry. I hope you find someone capable enough to resist primal influence." They reassure us that they will in due time, and that we should not be worried. Though, they do tell us that patrols may be sent out to our area. When I try to ask, "Wait, how do you..." the person on the other side just chuckles and says they're a scion after all, they have a network of informants. I sigh in relief, knowing the scions know where I am. "I suppose that means we can at least count on one of them to come running if we're in need."

Ysayle suddenly returns, "Count on who?" I turn to her, about to reply, but she's in a bathing robe of sorts. Her skin slightly steaming from the heated water hitting the cooler air. I suddenly blush red and look away. "Come now, whatever happened to the man bold enough to say ' _dear_ ' to me, hm?" She gets closer, and pets my head slightly, giggling. I explain to them I contacted the scions, and that they knew where we were, and about them being fine with our decision. "Oh, good." She stops gently caressing my head and heads off elsewhere to dress. "Sorry I didn't tell you that I had come back. You were so engrossed with looking over the plans for the inn and surrounding area." She giggles slightly and sighs, "Plus, I wanted to surprise you, our showers are working now." I blink twice at her, then smile, "You should probably go use them, you look exhausted." I nod and head off as she instructed. She slowly looks over the plans in the meantime.

The inn was finally complete after a time, polished, furnished, many rooms underground. Our own room upstairs. Ysayle herself was the one who suggested that we, ourselves share a single room together. We sent word to chocobokeeps about our stock of gysahl greens, and they erected a new stable there, sheltered from the cold across from the inn. They also helped us clear the front of the inn of some of the soil, old fence posts, etc. to have a proper trail ahead of the stable structure and the inn itself. The chocobo stable was a house similar to that of the ones found in the abandoned village, small of course, with a cobblestone foundation, and a large double doorway to keep the chocobos inside warm in this region. A permanent room upstairs in the stable house was given to the chocobokeep stationed, and we were to provide food for them. Our chocobokeep would be another female elezen from the Holy See chocobo stables. "I'm so glad, really. Now we can finally have proper customers. The main room downstairs converted into the tavern area and eatery... showers expanded so that there's a room to change in and our of towels/etc. One side for females one for males..." I sigh, it's all so overwhelming now, that we've done this. "We should probably hire someone to help keep the place clean and serve as well for busy occasions." Ysayle agrees to this motion, but before she could recommend herself to go out and get others, I quickly tell her that I should. She reluctantly nods and decides to invite the chocobokeep woman within the inn to converse as she tidies things up.

My time has mostly been restricted to coerthas western highlands, with Ysayle going out to the forelands and further to get resources without me. I normally stayed home to do work expanding the underground facilities, growing the gysahl greens, etc. I eventually find myself going to other city-states, not the Holy See of Ishgard. People there see me as the Warrior of Light, but only one of them. Rumors state of another, and I am not shaking by this, after all, I am not the only one with the power of the echo. As I go about the city-states, I am turned down by many people, but eventually, as I walk about Limsa Lominsa, I turn a corner and abruptly run into a young Hyuran man. "Excuse me, I'm sorry. I was looking for someone who had been saying they need someone to help with inn services." My eyes light up and confirm that I was the one asking about the city-states. "Oh good, I've finally found you." He smiles wide. I query if he was the one specifically who wanted to apply. "Yes... and no. You see, I have another with me that wants to help as well." I look at him confused, "Just follow me for now, she awaits." I nod and follow him astutely.

"So, he's the one?" A tall roegadyn woman suddenly stands from leaning against a wall near the Culinarian's guild. "Well, he's a bit slim, and doesn't look like he's one to weild a big axe or giant sword. But perhaps he dabbles in magic instead?" The tall buxom roegadyn woman smirks as I come closer. She grabs my shoulder and looks into my eyes. her piercing eyes have a fire within them, but I stare back. "Oh? You've tamed the icy queen? Well, then I accept this proposal. I'll be the one who keeps your inn safe." I gaspo and jump for joy. I affirm that they won't regret their decision. "Don't worry, I just found it interesting that the famed Warrior of Light would settle down with her." She laughs and starts heading off, dragging the young hyuran man off with her.

And so, our inn began to get customers once those two were settled. Days went by, more than a month. Word spread of strange things happening in Ishgard, that information regarding the war with dragons was being covered up. Our mission was coming to a close, however.... One day, a party of temple knights came to the inn, demanding Ysayle and I to show ourselves for questioning. Our stalward adventurer patrons were quick to defend us, standing in their way, braziers on each side of the trail blazing in the falling snow. "Yes? What would you want of us?" I say; a sudden bolt of magic tears through the air, but it is quickly blocked by a roegadyn male's shield. I sigh in relief and look up at the burly man, who looks down at me with a smile. The temple knights stand aside as the heavens' ward comes forth. I look back at them a bit upset. "You! Why are you here?!" I yell out at them. They explain that we need to be brought to justice for spreading the false information. So, a large plated armor man, nearly the size of a house walks forth, the ice cracking below him. "Heavens!" The man reveals himself as Thordan, King Thordan. A man seemingly influenced by the Ascians, given this form by them, similar to Shiva for Ysayle. "You won't break us, you won't destroy what we've done here, we'll defend it with our very lives if we have to!" Ysayle looks worried, it looks like a fight might break out, and that's not what she wanted, she wanted the fighting to stop.

But, it was too late, the heavensward get ready to attack, and an all out battle between adventurers and the heavens' ward occurs. Thordan himself eyes me specifically, hoping to taste my conviction. However, I stay there, standing firm, not willing to draw my weapon. He rushes forth soon. "No!! Stop!!" Ysayle shouts into the air. A brilliant flash of light shines from her, and her remaining crystal shatters as she becomes Shiva one more time. She quickly parries Thordan's blade. I gasp in terror as she fights him. The other adventurers finally finish off the other enemies before turning upon Thordan. "You will leave us, false god, false priest, false bishop. You will never be welcomed again!" Says Ysale, in her Shiva form. Thordan laughs as he readies yet another attack, this time with a massive energy from the niddhogg eye set upon it. He slices forth toward Ysayle in Shiva's form. But, I quickly rush forth, and use my weapon, along with hers, to block the attack, forcing it to be parried, and sending thordan flying, crashing into the permafrost. "We... we won't be pushed into a corner, I... I've finally found what I should be doing. Helping others, living my life. I won't... let you destroy it all." The adventurers all yell out, and we send out a barrage of attacks as he starts to get up once more. He, Thordan, is eventually defeated by us and the adventurers' combined efforts. "You... there will... be no more fighting." Ysayle in Shiva's form says down at the now un-transformed archbishop of the Holy See. The Archbishop staggers back as Ysayle soon raises an ice staff, then pierces it through his body. The man left there to bleed out. The massive sword lays there still, the eye pulsing with energy. Ysayle soon looks over to it along with me as well, she walks to it in her shiva form putting one of her boots down on it. "You... also need to be destroyed." She twists and pierces through it, shattering the eye. The sword soon dissolves away into a smaller version of it, now eye-less. Ysayle collapses to her knees, still in her shiva form. I slowly walk to her and put a hand upon her side. "Please..." She says. But, I don't want to leave her side. "...No more. No more fighting." I caress her side. She suddenly turns, I blink twice and gasp as she quickly embraces me in her Shiva form. I struggle and gasp as her large form smothers against me, hugging tight.

She doesn't let go for some time. I stop struggling, and just put my arms around her larger Shiva form. "Ysayle..." I say heavily muffled into her embrace. "We don't have to fight... we have so many people here now." She slowly lets me go, but still holds me up a bit. She nods and smiles lovingly back at me. "Ysayle, I..." She shushes me, and gets closer, and closer... I blush red staring at her face coming forth, she's going in for a kiss, but then I struggle and say, "Uhm, Ysayle, can we uhm... do this with you in your normal form?" She stops and tilts her head. "This form is extremely beautiful and all that but, a kissi n this form might freeze me solid." She gasps and suddenly lets me go, worried sick all of a sudden. Saying things like she didn't think of that. "N-No, it's okay. You can't help it, you're very emotional right now, after all." I laugh a bit. After a short while of waiting, she shines bright, returning back to her own elezen form. I quickly rush ahead, and catch her before she falls to her knees again. "Ah... Ysayle, I'm really sorry, agai--" But she quickly silences me, with a kiss. "Mmmph?!" I exclaim, her lips pressed to mine. I tremble a bit at first, but then, slowly I hug her as we kiss further.

We never officially tie our bonds together even after that, but adventurers know that we love each other now, and that we'll stay together, taking care of those who would pass through our little claim of land. The time passes by more and more, a few more homes come, along with more people. We are ever hopeful toward the future. As I look down at one point at the cracked ice from all that time ago when we fought Thordan, a trickle of water... the ice shimmers slightly, indicating what's to come. "What is it my dear?" Ysayle says. She looks to where I'm looking, and she gasps, surprised at the melting ice. "Oh, this is wonderful!" She grabs my hands and smiles wide. I smile back. The future looks bright, even if I no longer walk the path of the Warrior of Light.


End file.
